Theo And Reed's Lesson Plans

Chapter Four

Eventually Theo stopped screaming. He stopped rocking back and forth in the fetal position. But he still couldn't stand up by himself. He felt too weak. He was weak.

People kept watching him oddly. The paramedics especially as they monitored his vitals in his bloodied classroom. He heard them talking.

BP good. Little high but not critical.

Pulse high but not bad high.

Pupils ok.

He was fine. He was fine, they all kept saying. He was fine.

If he was fine why didn't he feel fine ?

His kids weren't fine......

Lane was looking at him oddly too. He could see him standing next to Charles. Wait. What was Charles doing here? He should not be in an active shooter situation. Did he want to get shot again?

He saw Charles holding Lane's hand. Nice. That was nice. Lane was improving his friend. That was good. But they shouldn't be in danger.

Matt and Saint were there too. Looking at him like they were worried. Matt held a crying Livvie in his arms. Watch your back, he wanted to say, she was getting bigger. Their Olivia Faye was growing up. Kyle was next to Saint looking angry but he usually looked angry. Saint was leaning heavily on the cane he only used when pain was really bad.

He saw Reed and his kids looking at him too. Reed was holding Baylee who was crying like Livvie. Benji looked like he wanted to beat something. They were all watching him like he was fragile or something.

Like he was a victim. He wasn't a victim. His kids were. He was...... He was .... fine. Right?

He heard Reed asking them to take him to the hospital.

No. No. No hospital. He wanted to go home.

He tried to stand up and almost fell until he was caught by his surrogate son Winnie. Winston. He really shouldn't be in a dangerous shooting situation.

" It's ok ," Winnie said ," it's ok , Dad. Just lean on me. You're ok. "

Reed handed Baylee to Charles who cradled the scared child tenderly. Then he went to his husband's other side and helped him stay up.

Theo asked loudly ( why did it sound so loud) ," How are my kids? My students? How are they? "

Reed blinked his brilliant green eyes at him. Theo could see that he was crying. Reed gently kissed Theo on top of his thinning greying brown hair. " Let's go to the hospital, baby. Ok ? Then home to bed. "

The eyes all watched him carefully like he was a china cup about to topple off a shelf and break into a million pieces.

" Where are my kids? "

Reed held Theo tightly and looked at Winnie over Theo's head.

" I'm sorry, darling. They're all dead. They're dead. I'm so damn sorry. "